The present invention relates to a swivel joint system for a swiveling connection between a first and second articulated arm. Such a swivel joint system can be used with a mirror holder to attach a mirror to a vehicle, with one articulated arm consisting of a base piece attached to the vehicle and the other articulated arm carrying the mirror.
The German patent document DE202009013767U1 describes a swivel joint system designed as a latching hinge joint with a first articulated arm and a second articulated arm which are pivoted on a latching hinge joint axis and connected with each other in locked positions, as well as a first and a second locking pin. The first articulated arm includes two axially spaced bearing surfaces facing each other. The second articulated arm comprises a bearing block with axially opposite ends that have counter bearing surfaces pointing away from each other. One of the bearing surfaces interacts with one of the counter bearing surfaces, and the other bearing surfaces interact with the other counter bearing surfaces. The first locking pin passes axially through the interacting bearing surface and a counter bearing surface, and the second locking pin passes coaxially through the other interacting bearing and counter bearing surface. A disadvantage of this swivel joint system is that two locking pins are required, which must be fed through the (one or two) interacting bearing and counter bearing surfaces and locked independently of one another and in axially opposite directions during the assembly of the swivel joint system.
European Patent No. EP2331367B1 describes a swivel joint system in which a rotary joint has a bearing block designed on a base part with an inner cylinder wall-shaped support surface acting as a bearing, a counter bearing with a cylindrical outer wall-shaped support surface designed in the arm of the mirror and a locking pin secured in the base part, the safety catch of which is designed in the base part as a bayonet lock. A disadvantage of this swivel joint system is that the axial length of the pivot joint, in particular the axial length of the support surfaces, as compared to the length of the mirror arm, is short and the swivel joint is mainly a single-radial support with respect to its construction, so that the swivel joint has a certain radial play between the mirror arm and the base part due to the exact fit of the interacting support surfaces.
European Patent No. EP1886873B1 describes a swivel joint system with a vehicle-attached base part that has a bearing block with an axial passageway opening, and a mirror arm connected with the base part by a latching hinge joint and possessing a first support arm and a second support arm that wrap around the bearing block. The first support arm has a first counter support surface designed as a latching surface, and the second support arm has a second counter support surface as a latching surface. The swivel joint system also includes a joint axle component which is positioned in the passageway opening of the bearing block and has a first support surface designed on one axial end as a latching surface and a second support surface designed on the axially opposite end as a latching surface. The first and second support surfaces of the joint axle component are designed as latching surfaces and interact with the first and second support arm's first and second counter support surfaces designed as latching surfaces. The girthed surface of the hinge axle component forms a cylindrical outer-wall-shaped support surface, and sections of the inner wall surface of the passageway opening of the support block form complementary support surfaces with cylindrical inner walls. The joint axle component also includes a spring element positioned between the two latching surfaces. This spring element tenses the first and second support surfaces designed as latching surfaces in axially opposite directions against the support arms' first and second counter support surface designed as latching surfaces. This makes the latching hinge joint of the connected pins unnecessary. A disadvantage of this swivel joint system is that the axial length of the locking joint, in particular the axial distance between the support and counter support surfaces, compared to the length of the mirror arm, is quite short and the latching hinge joint has a certain amount of radial play between the mirror arm and the base part due to the exact fit of the interacting support and counter support surfaces.
Thus, a swivel joint system is sought with a first articulated arm and a second articulated arm connected to the first arm via a swivel joint such that the radial play between the first articulated arm and the second articulated arm is reduced or avoided.